▶ Your Answer :
The reading passage proposes a possibility
that Anasazi civilization had disappeared due to a drought. However, the lecturer
asserts that the evidences for the collapse of the civilization are not
reliable.
To commence with,
the reading insists that remaining bones of Anasazi children show that they
suffered from drought. According to the reading, the bones lacked vitamins and were
stunted. However, the lecturer casts doubt on this claim by suggesting that malnutrition
was common among Anasazi children regardless of the sufficiency of the crops. To
be specific, 45% of Anasazi children suffered from nutrition deficiency even
when the agriculture was successful. This is due to the fact that most crops
was given to religious ceremonies rather than those in need.
In addition, the
reading contends that the well-sealed abandon sites of Anasazi and their
matching patterns with earlier dry spells are evidences that Anasazi people
left their homes due to a drought. The lecturer rebuffs this claim by raising a
question why didn’t the people returned to Anasazi after the drought was gone.
She strengthens her argument by mentioning the fact that the drought only
lasted for 40 years, from 1300 to 1340.
Lastly, the
reading suggests that sufficient water source in the area where Anasazi people
resettled proves that Anasazi civilization declined because of the dry weather.
However, the lecturer provides a counter example to weaken the reading’s point.
She gives an example of Anasazi people relocated to Arizona, where the environmental
conditions are harsher than their original homes. The place was even more deprived
of water, and the land was not suitable for agriculture.
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